The Secret Keeper
by Bernadette Kaulitz
Summary: The events of the night Harry was found that night his parents died from the eyes of his godfather, Sirius Black. One-shot.


A/N: I'm going to start writing my New Marauders story again! WOOHOO!

But just to get back into the writing mood, here's a little side story that I've been holding onto for a very long time xD hope you enjoy!

=-*-^-x-~-x-^-*-=

"Hagrid! Hagrid!"

Hagrid jerked awake from his slumber as someone outside of his hut started banging furiously on his door.

"Hagrid! Open this bloody door!"

"Alrigh'! Alrigh'! I'm comin'!" Hagrid answered groggily as he got up and off his bed. Fangs the boar-hound pup came pattering towards him, his tiny tail wagging around excitedly. _Such a tiny little thing yer are, _Hagrid thought with a chuckle as he stooped over to give the little puppy an affectionate pat on the head.

"HAGRID!", came another shout from the outside.

Hagrid sighed and walked over to the door and opened it to reveal the tall figure of Sirius Black, his wand pointed directly at Hagrid, as if ready to strike.

Hagrid froze.

"Who did you catch me snogging right after my History of Magic O.W.L examination?" Sirius asked, his eyes were hard as he looked at Hagrid's face, careful of any changes in expression.

Hagrid looked confused for a short moment, and then laughed as he realized what Sirius was doing.

"If I remember it righ', it was lil' Miss Candice Roy from Ravenclaw." Hagrid chuckled at the memory. "She looked downright 'appy, she did."

Sirius didn't relax his grip on his wand as he shoved his way into the cabin. There was no trace of humor on his face.

"Where's my bike Hagrid?" Sirius asked. His voice was shaking with emotion as he paced all around the room, as if he would somehow find his bike lying around. Hagrid was starting to grow worried.

"Out in me pumpkin patch," Hagrid said, pointing a thick finger out the window into the garden. Sirius immediately went for the backdoor, with Hagrid following behind and little Fangs yipping excitedly after them.

"What's 'appened Sirius? What's got yeh all upset?" Hagrid asked as Sirius kicked the gate to the pumpkin patch open roughly. Sirius turned to face Hagrid, and Hagrid knew by his expression that the news he was about to give was more grave than he would have imagined.

"He's found them Hagrid," came his hollow answer.

Hagrid felt as if an icy fist had suddenly clenched upon his heart tightly. _No... it can't be true! _

"You-Know-Who?" Hagrid asked, his voice was hoarse and was barely above a whisper. Sirius' reply was a grim nod, and Hagrid felt as if the floor had given way beneath him.

"Does Dumbledore know?" Hagrid managed to ask as Sirius turned back towards his bike.

"There's nothing that man doesn't know," Sirius replied as he got on the bike and started it up. It roared to life in an instant and Sirius kicked it into gear. He then angled it upwards and flew off into the night sky.

=-*-^-x-~-x-^-*-=

Sirius landed his bike on the road towards Godric's Hollow, so as not to draw any unwanted attention to himself from the muggles, and rode towards the village unmagically.

It had been quite a few days since he'd been there last.

A few days that he had last seen his friends.

He pulled up in front of their house and his gaze fell, horrified, upon the wreckage that had previously been a beautiful house. There was debris everywhere, and scorch marks covered what was left of the walls. The front door was hanging on one of its hinges pathetically.

He redirected his gaze towards the night sky and was partially relieved to see that there was no glowing green skull occupying it. He let out a long, steadying breath. There was a chance that his friends could be alive.

He pushed through the annoying gate that squeaked noisily as it opens, and went into the house, his wand drawn and pointed out in front of him. The sight that greeted him was that of pure carnage. Everything that was not bolted down was either tilted over or smashed. Furniture lay in crumpled heaps haphazardly in the living room, glass lay scattered all over the floor. It was no doubt that James and Lily had put up a good fight.

On one side of the house, the walls had been blasted through, giving Sirius a view of the neighboring houses. He wondered what could have possibly done so much damage, but decided it was best not to think about it. Right now, he should be looking for his friends.

A sound upstairs drew his attention.

He crept cautiously up the rickety steps, threading carefully so as not to draw the attention of the intruder. Whether it was James or Lily, or somebody far more sinister, he had to keep his guard up.

After the first flight of steps, Sirius came upon a sight that nearly made him scream.

Lying in a crumpled heap on the steps of the staircase was the lifeless body of James Potter.

There were no markings on his body. There was no blood. If Sirius tried to, he could imagine that James was not dead, but asleep.

Sirius nearly broke down and cried. His best friend was dead. He could only hope that Lily had escaped.

But he had to check.

Steeling his nerves, he carefully stepped over his best friend's lifeless form and walked on. There would be time for grieving later. One of the bedroom doors was opened, and Sirius peeked inside.

He had to hold back another scream.

There, lying on the floor, in front of the baby's cot was Lily. Her face looked peaceful by the glow of the moonlight that came in through a large, gaping hole in the wall; her enchanting green eyes were glazed and unseeing.

Sirius knelt down beside her and closed her eyes with two fingers, his own eyes closed as he grieved for his friends. Then he went to inspect the cot.

His heart sank as he saw that the sheets were matted with blood. There was no way that a baby could lose that much blood and live.

Sirius could not hold it back anymore. He hung his head and cried.

His friends were dead. Their baby was dead. Voldemort had won. He shifted his feet and felt something brush against his foot.

Looking down, he saw that it was the toy broomstick that he had sent to little Harry for his first birthday. He remembered the picture that Lily had sent him just three days ago, of the little boy zooming around the living room on this toy, chasing James around while Lily laughed happily.

He smiled at the memory, and more tears followed as he realized that he will never see his friends again. He hit the cot with his fist in frustration. _If only he had gotten there sooner! If only he had stayed their secret keeper. Why did he have to swap with Wormtail-_

"Gabooo..."

Sirius looked up at the sound. And his mouth fell open.

The baby was gazing up at Sirius through the bars of the cot. His eyes were wide with curiosity. There was a jagged cut on his forehead and he was bleeding freely, but the baby does not seem to be in pain. Sirius reached out his hand disbelievingly, unsure of what to make of this new revelation.

The baby reached up and grabbed Sirius's index finger with both his tiny hands, and Sirius smiled as he remembered this to be young Harry's favorite game. His smile turned into a barking laugh as Harry tried to bite his finger.

He looked down at the little baby in the cot happily. When he suddenly realized that something was wrong.

He swung around to look at Lily's body, which had remained unchanged. How had the young baby boy survived an attack that many fully grown wizards could not?

Where was Voldemort now?

He looked at the huge hole that was behind the baby's cot. _That must have been one Hell of a curse, _he thought to himself as he moved in for a closer look. He brushed his fingers against the rubble, and felt slight traces of Dark magic. With one sweeping look around the room, he took in the scene and analyzed the situation.

Something was definitely not right.

Voldemort would never have left without making sure he had killed every single living person in the vicinity. But he had left the one lone child, who was incapable of defending himself, to live with nothing but a jagged cut on his forehead.

And what of the absence of the Dark Mark? There was no doubt that there were murders that had been committed. Why was the Mark not set into the sky?

Could the Dark Lord still be lurking around within the house?

It was possible. And he had to be sure.

"_Humanum Revelios_!" he said, waving his wand over his head. A cold, chilling sensation went from his brain to his wand arm, and in an instant, he had the entire layout of the Potter house in his head.

He could 'see' the bodies of James and Lily, lying lifeless on the floor. His senses reached downstairs to the broken piano and every one if it's shattered pieces. He 'saw' Harry watching him from his cot, a look of mild curiosity playing across the child's face. And in front of the cot...

Sirius gasped as his senses revealed the ghostly image of Lord Voldemort, his head was thrown back and his mouth wide open in a silent scream of excruciating pain, his wand was pointed directly at Harry's cot.

The spell ended, and Sirius gazed at the spot where Voldemort's ghostly image disappeared. The place where he had been killed.

Where he had been destroyed.

=-*-^-x-~-x-^-*-=

It was awhile before Sirius came out of the Potter house, young Harry Potter wrapped in a bundle of blankets in his arms. In the distance, Sirius could see the large form of Hagrid, trying his best, and failing, and sneaking cautiously towards the house without being seen.

Sirius raised his arm to signal that all was clear, and Hagrid straightened up and made his way towards him at a more normal pace. Hagrid looked shaken, and the parts of his face that wasn't covered by his scraggly beard were etched with worry.

"How did you get here so fast?" Sirius asked him as the giant man drew nearer.

"Dumbledore took me... side alon' apparition," Hagrid replied gruffly, eying the bundle in Sirius's arms. Then his gaze shifted towards the house.

"Blimey... did they... make it?" Hagrid asked, his voice was choked back with emotion. He had known the Potters for a very long time. Sirius shook his head grimly.

"James and Lily... Their bodies are... in there," he breathed, barely able to get the words out. Hagrid gave him an affectionate pat on the back, which nearly knocked Sirius face first towards the ground.

"Careful Hagrid!" Sirius said, cradling the bundle carefully in his arms as he regained his balance. Hagrid eyed it cautiously.

Then, Sirius caught something moving rather quickly out of the corner of his eye. It was somewhat familiar.

"Hagrid, take Harry to Dumbledore for me," Sirius said, handing the small bundle to Hagrid, who took it rather unconsciously.

"Harry?" Hagrid asked, bewildered.

"Careful with him now," Sirius said, "he could very well be the only Potter left."

"Bu' Dumbledore's gone to the Dursley's 'ouse! I can't Apparate on me own," Hagrid said, holding the little bundle up to his chest. Sirius hesitated.

Then he said, "Take my bike, I won't need it."

Hagrid's gaze fell on the bike. Sirius really loved this piece of enchanted muggle machine. And Hagrid had always wanted to fly it.

"Where are you goin' then?" Hagrid asked, turning to look at Sirius. Only to find that Sirius was no longer there. Hagrid looked up and down the street, but there was nothing to be seen all around. Except for a large black dog running off into the distance.

He shrugged and took a closer look at the bundle of blankets in his hands. It was so small, Hagrid could hardly believe there was a baby in there. He pulled back one of the blankets to have a look at the boy, when two tiny hands reached out and attempted to grab his large index finger.

Hagrid nearly cried out in shock. The little baby boy was looking frustrated that he couldn't wrap his hands around his finger. His shock turned into tears of joy as the little boy started nibbling on his finger.

"He's alive!" Hagrid boomed, not caring that he had awakened some of the muggle neighbors. "He's alive!"

And with that, he got onto the large motorcycle, set Harry down carefully into the side carriage (which had magically produced a baby seat), and gunned the engine loudly.

"Don't worry Harry... I'll be takin' yeh somewhere safe," he said softly.

And they shot off into the night sky.

=-*-^-x-~-x-^-*-=

Sirius bounded down the streets of Godric's Hollow, his paws thumping heavily onto the pavement as he tried to pick up a scent.

It was a risky move to transform into a dog with Hagrid nearby, but he needed to get on the move fast. The creature he was pursuing was much faster than he was. He let out a booming bark of frustration, sure that he had lost the scent. But it suddenly turned into a bark of triumph as he saw his target scampering under the wooden fences of the neighboring houses.

He leaped over the fence and followed the familiar rat-like scent to the streets. The rat was scurrying as fast as its little paws could carry him, but in one mighty leap, Sirius was upon him.

He triggered the transformation at the last second, his heavy paw turned into human hands just as it was about to crush the rat's tiny head. There was no escape now. The rat tried desperately to wriggle his way loose, but Sirius would not release him.

"Wormtail!" Sirius said harshly, his throat hoarse from all the barking. "You treacherous little rat! Why did you tell Voldemort the Secret? You were supposed to protect them!"

His voice had risen loudly in anger, waking up the neighbors from their slumber. The rat was clawing at his hands, trying to sink its' teeth into his flesh. Sirius held the rat by its tail, and took out his wand.

"I should kill you for what you did," he spat out venomously. The rat quivered under his deathly glare. Sirius raised his wand to strike when the rat suddenly transformed into a small, ratty man.

"Sirius! Stop!" the man yells, pulling on his robe, who's other end was being held tightly in Sirius's hand. "I'm on your side!"

"Then why did you give James and Lily to the Dark Lord?" Sirius demanded, his wand still pointed directly at the rat-man's heart. "Why did you tell him the Secret?"

"The Dark Lord has serious powers! I was too weak against him!" the man whimpered pathetically. "He found out where I was hiding Sirius! HE TORTURED ME! He would have killed me had I not given him the information!"

"Then you should have DIED!" Sirius yelled, "You should have died with the secret so that he can never find them! JAMES WAS YOUR FRIEND!"

"I was weak Sirius! I'm not like you! Or Lupin!" the man fell to his knees with a sob. "I wasn't prepared to die..." he gasped out, "I'm not strong enough to fend for myself like you."

Sirius looked down at his old friend with disgust. Ever since they were young, Wormtail was always a weakling. Always hanging out with people stronger than him, so they could protect him. He and James had saved this man's life countless times before.

And this is how he repays them.

Jabbing his wand hard onto Wormtail's back, he said, "give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill you now..."

There were muggles looking out of their windows at them, those that were nearby were trying to call the muggle law enforcement. But Sirius paid them no mind. A thought had suddenly struck him.

Quick as a flash, Sirius reached out and pulled up the left sleeve of Wormtail's cloak and gasped at what he saw.

The Dark Mark was branded onto his arm, the skull with a snake tongue gazed darkly up at him. Wormtail looked stricken, and pulled away quickly from Sirius's slackened grasp.

At that exact moment, faint pops could be heard in the distance, signalling the arrival of the Aurors. A lot of them by the sound of it. Sirius shot his old friend a dark, grim look.

"You will be sent to Azkaban for what you did," he said emotionlessly.

Wormtail looked frightened at the prospect of having to live out his days surrounded by soul sucking demons. His eyes were darting this way and that, his fingers were twitching in that familiar rat like fashion that Sirius had come recognize whenever Wormtail was in trouble. Then, it suddenly disappeared, to be replaced by a dark and humorless smile.

"I won't be the one they'll be sending to Azkaban," Wormtail said, his voice suddenly becoming hollow. Then, raising his voice so that the approaching Aurors could hear, he yelled out.

"JAMES AND LILY! SIRIUS! HOW COULD YOU?"

He pointed his wand at a nearby car behind him, and it exploded stupendously, enveloping the whole neighborhood in flames. The blast was unbelievably huge, and Sirius had barely enough time to throw up a shield charm to protect himself against the force.

_WORMTAIL! _Sirius thought worryingly for his old friend. _That bloody fool killed himself!_

He barely registered the presence of the Aurors as they were upon him. Some were doing their best to put out the flames with water from their wands.

_They think I did this, _he realized numbly, looking around him at the destruction that Wormtail had caused. He had never told anyone that he had swapped with Wormtail as the Potter's secret keeper. And now there was no one left to prove his innocence.

_They think I gave James and Lily to Voldemort..._

It was an absurd though. Almost... humorous in a way. There was no way in Hell that he could ever do such a thing.

He threw his head back and laughed.

=-*-^-x-~-x-^-*-=

Somewhere deep underground, a rat sniffed the air as the sound of wild laughter could be heard from the holes coming from above. As the laughter died away, the rat moved deeper into the sewers, it squeaked mischievously as if it too was sharing some kind of private joke with someone.

Its tiny paws pattered against the cold floor, one of its toes was missing.

=-*-^-x-~-x-^-*-=

A/N: Hope you guys liked this short, little one shot! =D

I would love to hear your comments and critic.

Go ahead and press the little review button below!


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